TRENTON — A statewide investigation into child pornography distribution has led to charges against 79 men, state Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced Friday.

They include three men from Atlantic County, one from Cape May County and five from Cumberland County, including three brothers.

The nine-month investigation, named Operation Safety Net, was a multiple-agency initiative led by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that targeted sex offenders using the internet and social media.

Porrino said in a statement arrests were made in every county in New Jersey. The arrests included 10 “hands-on” offenders, directly involved with soliciting, photographing or transporting victims. Two of the men, one from California and one from Indiana, allegedly engaged in interstate human trafficking and solicitation for sex with children.

Those arrested range in age from 17 to 75.

Defendants charged with amassing and/or distributing large collections of child pornography include a Trenton police officer, an Ocean County piano teacher and three brothers in Millville who allegedly had nearly 5,000 files of child pornography.

“We charged 10 men with hands-on predatory conduct against children, including attempted interstate trafficking of children for sex, sexual assault, luring, sending obscene images to a child, or manufacturing child pornography,” Porrino said. “These cases highlight the fact that viewing child pornography is part of a continuum of deviant behavior that often leads to or drives other sex crimes.”

Authorities said George Castillo, 36, of California, and Joseph Donohew, 26 of Indiana, solicited or offered money to undercover State Police detectives. Castillo faces several federal charges, including transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and production of child pornography, and charges in New Jersey, including conspiracy to commit child trafficking. Donohew faces attempted child-molestation charges, Porrino said.

An Atlantic County man was charged with being a “hands-on” offender. Brandon Morris, 24, of Hammonton, was charged with manufacturing child pornography, endangering the welfare of a child by sexual conduct, conveying obscene materials to a child and possession of child pornography. He is accused of engaging underage girls in FaceTime conversations, instructing them to perform sexual acts on themselves and recording them.

Morris was arrested Oct. 27, Porrino said.

On July 21, Gov. Chris Christie signed a law that will impose stricter penalties on those possessing and distributing mass quantities of child pornography. It will take effect Feb. 1. The new law expands the definition of child pornography to include child erotica.

Under the new law, the three brothers from Millville and a man from Ocean County would be considered “super-possessors,” but they cannot be charged under the harsher penalties because they were charged before the new law goes into effect.

Pasquale “Charles” Albano, 75, of Point Pleasant, Ocean County, had more than 1,000 files of suspected child pornography, Porrino said. Albano was also charged with third-degree possession of child pornography.

Eight other people in The Press coverage area were charged in Operation Safety Net, according to Porrino’s statement.

In Atlantic County, Anthony Gerace, 43, of Egg Harbor Township, was charged with distribution of child pornography. Antonio Baang, 26, of Galloway Township, was charged with possession of child pornography.

In Cape May County, Robert King, 63, of North Wildwood, was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

In Cumberland County, John Parsons, 50, of Vineland, was charged with possession of child pornography. Julio Garcia, 29, of Bridgeton, was charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

In Ocean County, piano teacher Bryan San Andreas, 37, of Toms River, was charged with possession of child pornography. Joseph Maruca, 26, of Berkeley Township, was charged with possession of child pornography. Eric MacAfee, 41, of Seaside Heights, was charged with possession of child pornography.

Operation Safety Net used two new tools in its investigation: a State Police electronics detection dog, Mega, who was used to locate hidden or disguised media storage devices, and the Division of Criminal Justice’s new cyber forensics van, Porrino said.

According to Porrino, the ICAC Task Force investigated numerous cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and began proactive investigations by monitoring file-sharing networks, identifying the IP address of individuals sharing pornography files and undercover chat investigations on social media.Contact: 609-272-7286 LCarroll@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPress_LC

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"Hands-on" offenders

William Esker, 22, of Bayonne, Hudson County, was charged Sept. 7 by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with aggravated criminal sexual contact for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a girl, 14, over whom he had direct supervision as a camp counselor. He also was charged with providing obscene material to a child and endangering the welfare of a child.

Donald Beckwith, 34, of Browns Mills, Burlington County, was charged in Delaware with sexual solicitation of a minor and attempt to commit unlawful sexual contact with a minor. Beckwith, a captain in the Air Force stationed in New Jersey, met a girl, 14, through an online chat group for children and allegedly engaged her in sexual conversations, ultimately asking her to meet him in person. He allegedly met the girl twice in Delaware. The first time, he allegedly reached under her shirt and tried to touch her breast, and the second time he allegedly hugged her and repeatedly asked her to lie on a bed in the back of his vehicle and watch a movie with him. New Jersey State Police arrested Beckwith on Aug. 16 in an investigation initiated by the Delaware State Police. Detectives allegedly found more than 10 nude images of an underage girl on his phone.

Michael DeBlock, 22, of Hopatcong, Sussex County, a youth minister, was arrested on Oct. 10 and charged by the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office with possession of child pornography and conveying obscene materials to a child. DeBlock allegedly exchanged sexual photos and texts with a girl, 14, including a photo of his penis.

A 17-year-old student from Bergen County, whose name is not being released due to his juvenile status, was arrested Aug. 17 and charged by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office with manufacturing, distributing and possessing child pornography, as well as invasion of privacy. The juvenile allegedly had over 1,000 files of suspected child pornography on his electronic devices, including video recordings he allegedly made by hiding his smartphone in a private bathroom in order to record underage boys who were nude, showering or urinating.

Craig Kirschner, 39, of Marlboro, Monmouth County, was arrested Aug. 21 and charged by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with luring a child, attempted sexual assault of a minor and conveying obscene material to a minor. Kirschner allegedly solicited an undercover detective, whom he believed to be a 15-year-old male, to meet for oral sex. The detective was monitoring a mobile app when he encountered Kirschner. After the undercover detective identified himself as a 15-year-old boy, Kirschner allegedly sent him photos of an erect penis, asked him to meet for oral sex and stated “I can be generous for your trouble.”

Isaac Toney, 40, of Trenton, Mercer County, was arrested July 17 by New Jersey State Police and charged with luring a child. He allegedly used a mobile app to solicit an undercover detective, whom he believed was a 14-year-old male, for oral sex. He was arrested at Veterans Park in Hamilton, Mercer County, where he allegedly was to meet the “boy” for a sexual encounter.

Robert Elmi, 63, of Gillette, Morris County, was arrested by the New Jersey State Police on Nov. 9 on a charge of luring a child. Elmi had placed an ad on Craigslist soliciting a relationship with a younger female. An undercover State Police detective responded, posing as a young girl and indicating to Elmi that she was 13. Elmi allegedly communicated with the “13-year-old” for several weeks by text and email, ultimately arranging to meet her at a diner. He allegedly told the “girl” he would take her back to his apartment, where they would drink, watch TV, kiss and perform oral sex on each other. Elmi was arrested by the State Police at the diner.

"Super possessors"

The following would be charged as "super possessors" under the new law.

William Camargo, 48, of Millington, an IT professional, allegedly had more than 138,000 files of suspected child pornography, and possibly more than one million files (determination awaiting full forensic examinations of computer equipment);

Callen Kapschock, 55, of Hamilton, Mercer County, a mechanic, allegedly had more than 10,000 files of suspected child pornography;

Md F. Uddin, 43, of Elizabeth, an engineer, allegedly had more than 5,000 files of suspected child pornography;

Assisting agencies

Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino commended all of the Operation Safety Net team members and assisting agencies. From the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigation Unit, he thanked Lieutenant John Pizzuro, who is ICAC Commander, Detective Sergeant First Class Keith Young, Detective Sergeant Paul Sciortino, Detective Sergeant Christopher Camm, Detective II Jennifer Amato-Riddle, Detective I Brett Munch, Detective I Joseph Santamaria, Detective Katie Feehan, and Trooper Alaa Musleh. He also thanked the members of the New Jersey State Police TEAMS and K9 Units.

Attorney General Porrino thanked the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Newark and Cherry Hill Offices, the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Metropolitan Police Department/FBI Child Exploitation Task Force in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the LAX Task Force, and, in Indiana, the Brownsburg Police Department, Indiana State Police and Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office.

Attorney General Porrino also thanked the following county and municipal agencies that assisted in Operation Safety Net:

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